A group of community activists called on Ohio's utility regulators to reject an American Electric Power revenue increase by submitting 2,500 petition signatures opposing what it calls a rate hike.
Columbus Stand Up, Common Cause Ohio and others submitted the signatures Wednesday at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's (PUCO) downtown office after rallying in the frigid cold. The PUCO is holding evidentiary hearings before making a ruling on AEP's case.
More than a dozen people braved the freezing cold in downtown Columbus to hand the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio the petition as part of Columbus Stand Up's "Lights Out AEP" case.
Former U.S. Senate candidate Morgan Harper, a Columbus Stand Up co-founder, said the utility is taking advantage of rate payers as residents struggle to pay bills.
"If AEP Ohio needs more money for so-called infrastructure improvements, executive retirement packages that none of us will ever see, new fitness centers for their employees, we're telling them to look no further than their own pockets filled with record profits," Harper said.
AEP said its proposal would raise its revenue, but still decrease electric rates by about $1 a month for now. Harper's group and the Ohio Consumer's Counsel found out the company is actually using money it already owes taxpayers to temporarily offset the costs.
Once that runs out, rates could increase if the PUCO approves the revenue increase.
Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer said utilities like AEP have had a long history of taking advantage of ratepayers. She referenced the House Bill 6 scandal, which AEP played in a role in.
The company later agreed to be fined $19 million because of its part in the scandal.
"The reason that we are worried, scrutinizing, don't believe (AEP) need the rate hike is because they were willing to lie to their investors and they're willing to lie to us," Turcer said.
AEP has been exploring moving its headquarters out of its 31-story skyscraper on Long Street in downtown Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reported Mike DeWine and JobsOhio are working to keep AEP in the state.
Harper told WOSU after the group delivered its petition signatures that AEP's jobs are important to Columbus, but Ohio's next governor needs to learn to put a check on the company's greed.
"If (AEP) are going to try to extort the state for conditions in which they will stay, so they think we can continue to have the privilege of them ripping us off. Well, I think that's something that the next governor of Ohio should be very concerned about," Harper said.
